Routines like Starting Strength, StrongLifts, and other derivatives often have unpleasant non-aesthetic side effects. One of them would be non-existent chest development despite pushing relatively heavy weights during the later stages of the programs. Why does it happen? Survival Mode All those strength routines throw the lifter into survival mode. In other words, your job […]
Are weighted push-ups as effective as the bench press? The bench press works. It has built a great number of strong and muscular upper bodies over the years. It’s also one of the three power lifts, and despite the effort of some strength organizations, the overhead press will not negate the royalty status of the […]
Short answer: Dips are a very effective overall chest exercise, but they do not emphasize the upper chest because the pressing happens at a downward angle facilitating the recruitment of the lower pectoral fibers rather than the uppers. The clavicular head [upper chest] participates in the exercise, but not nearly as much as it does […]
Short answer: If your shoulders are healthy and flexible enough to assume the bottom position of the dip, the exercise is safe. Nonetheless, it would be naive to think that dips cannot cause issues – mechanically, they’re not the most shoulder-friendly exercise. People with a history of shoulder problems should be cautious. Issues may also […]
1. Less ego, more honesty The vicious looks directed towards a poverty bench can crush the fragile soul of almost any natural. The insecurity runs so deep that even men who have built tremendous bench presses still carry traces of previous trauma within the deepest layers of their being and continue to witness vivid images […]
One of the first observations I made when I joined a gym was that on chest days many muscle constructors do all three bench press variations – flat for the ego, incline for the upper chest and decline for the lower chest. I thought that those guys were total idiots who didn’t know how to train. […]
A strong, wide and thick chest adds aesthetics and power to your physique. Sadly, some lifters have a hard time recruiting the chest muscles and rely mostly on deltoid and triceps power during pushing exercises (e,g., bench press, push-ups…etc.). With a few adjustments, this can change. 1. Do Dips The bottom of the dip is […]
The bench press has been accepted as a universal measure of strength. The popular bench press specialist Scott Mendelson even labeled it as “the lift of manhood”. Unfortunately, not all lifters excel at the lift, and even if you do – it’s never enough. The main group struggling with the bench press is formed by ectomorphs. […]
1.Chest flys The chest fly will never be a true power exercise. There may be some maniacs like Scooby Werkstatt who have made the fly one of their main heavy exercises, but in my opinion, there are more intelligent ways to overload the pectoral muscles. The stretch created by the fly puts the tendons of […]
What’s better – the dumbbell bench press or the classic barbell bench press? To know the answer, we have to look at the advantages and disadvantages of both movements. Advantages of the dumbbell bench press 1.Shoulder-friendly The main advantage of the dumbbell bench press is that it allows you to find a shoulder-friendly groove. You […]
If you train in a popular commercial gym, you are probably familiar with the fact that Monday is a national chest day when every bench press station is taken. All kinds of people ranging from skinny teenagers to 250lbs chemists are bowing to the God of Pecs on that day. What is the reason for […]
‘It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.’ – Julius Caesar The dip may be a very effective upper body exercise, but it often causes shoulder pain. To prevent this from happening, you could try the following: a. reduce your […]